As far as I know, this game is only played in Colombia, but I am sure there are other variations in other parts of Latin America. I have been using this game as an energizer in my 4th and 5th grade classes. My students have really loved playing this game. I thought it would be great to share this with other teachers here.

In preparation for this game, all you need is a space where your students can sit in a circle and an object to pass around. I use a small ball made of fabric. I try not to use anything that will bounce off their hands because then it becomes a distraction for the students.

Students sit in a circle. Choose one student who will close her eyes and will be the one chanting “tingo….tango.” The children in the circle will be passing the object while she chants “tingo, tingo, tingo…” as much as possible. When the student who is chanting “tingo” says “tango,” the student who has the ball or small object must come to the middle of the circle to choose a “penalty.” I added a chart with penalties that I project up on the board in my room, so this way it is easier for my students to choose a penalty to do. I also added that the whole class says “penitencia” when the person who is saying “tingo” says “tango.” Some of the “penitencias” I use are taken from the movement cards I have previously shared in this blog. The penitencias are simple – for example, sing like a rooster, dance like ghost, or move your head like a turkey.

Once the student has completed the penalty, this same student takes the place of the person who was chanting “tingo….tango,” and the game starts all over again.

I can’t believe this is my last post for this October. I just wanted to share these cute Halloween stickers in Spanish that I made to give my students. You can use them as rewards for your games or celebrations for Halloween.

They are made to be printed on the Avery Square Labels (22816)***, or any kind of labels that are 2×2 inches. These stickers will be great to practice vocabulary related to Halloween. I plan to have my older students create sentences and short stories with the different characters. Please feel free to share your ideas using these stickers in the comment box.

This game can be used while teaching your clothing unit and later as a way to warm up or wrap up the class. I am sure there are different ways to play this game, but this is how I play it with my students.

1. One person leaves the room.2. The rest of the class decides on a “persona misteriosa.”3. The student who was outside comes back to the room.4. The class asks as a whole group “¿quién es la persona misteriosa?”5. The student who is back in the classroom starts making sentences (orally) to try to figure out who the mystery person is. For example, “La persona misteriosa tiene la camiseta de color azul.” The student can use the cards to create the sentences.

Yes! The title sounds a little bit redundant, but we all have our own “ritualitos” (little rituals) that we do in every class. I have been teaching for over 17 years now, and my experience is mostly in the United States as a Spanish teacher in a FLES (Foreign Language in Elementary School) program. Back when I was a PreK/First grade teacher in Colombia, I rarely felt that I was getting into a routine, which I equated with a rut or “getting bored” of doing the same things in class over and over. And while teaching in a world language program means you need to have a lot of repetition to help your students retain the language, this doesn’t mean you have to do the same thing every class!

When teaching in a world language program at the elementary level, we have to make sure we provide a sense of routine in the class to create a safe space for the children. I strongly believe in teaching in the target language as much as you can, which means having to use the language a lot and at the proficiency level of your students. This can sometimes limit the amount of activities you can do to vary your routine.

Here is a list of routines I do in my class. Please feel free to add more in the comments below! I would love to hear yours!I always start my class with the “Plan de la clase” which tells my students what will be happening in class. I go over it with them and keep it very simple. This also can eliminate the stress in some of the anxious students who need to know what will be happening in class.

This is an example of how it might look depending on the grade level. The message below is for a second grade class, and I see them only twice a week for a 40-minute period each time. You can decide how to have the class read it. You can have one volunteer read the message or the whole class may read it together.

Plan de la clase1. Saludos: ¡Hola! ¿Qué tal?2. El calendario3. Canción: La familia sapo4. ¡Vamos a jugar!: Pasa la bola5. Describe a tu familia: ¿Cómo es tu familia?6. Tiquete de salidaSince greetings are a key aspect of world language classes, here are some ideas to greet your students:1. Try to change the greetings. One day you can use ¿Como estás? and then the other day “¿Qué tal?”.2. You can pass a ball to students in class and ask the question yourself.You can give turns to the children to respond and then pass the ball to the next person, and the child who responded will take a turn asking.

3. You can divide the class in pairs where one student asks then the other responds and vice versa.

4. You can divide the class into teams, one side answers and the other responds.

5. You can use puppets and let your students improvise their greetings for the class.

6. Play music in the classroom, have your students dance to the music, stop the music and choose a volunteer to greet the class. For example, “clase, ¿cómo estás?”

7. Place a picture of a famous person or movie character with information about themselves (see picture below). You can read this information to your students, then give turns for them to introduce themselves to the character or famous person by sharing the same information. See more here!

Another option is creating a short video using Morpho Booth. Warning! Some of your young students might think that this is creepy. My third graders love it!

8. Place a simple picture that your students will have to use to complete their face. They can take turns doing this. Download the picture here!

9. Start with a Zumba or dancing routine to get everyone into the Spanish mood.

10. Use “brain breaks” during the routine or any time you see your students need help focusing and tuning again into class.

11. Read the days of the week with a feeling for each day. Find the picture here!

12. Make your calendar interactive. If you have an interactive board or a projector, a computer connected to the internet, take advantage of it and add a cultural/geographic aspect comparing seasons, temperatures and weather to your calendar. My students always love guessing what the temperature could be like in Colombia or any other Spanish-speaking country. See video below!

To add a more adventurous part, take a trip to any of the Spanish-speaking countries using Google Earth! Also check out my “Facebook Corner” for more ideas on routines for Spanish class!

As Valentine’s day approaches, we are looking for activities and ideas to use with our students. There are few moments in the classroom to use phrases like this one and Valentine’s day is giving us a great opportunity to put language into context. This short and simple song will help your students learn two simple phrases that they can use at school with their friends or at home with their families.Te quiero,Te quiero,Tú eres mi corazón.Te quiero,Te quiero,Tú eres mi corazón.

After teaching the song your students can practice colors with this fun freebie that includes a memory game and coloring pages. Download the free game and coloring pages HERE!

Teaching in a place where winters can be long, makes me and my students appreciate every single minute we can have outside. Now that Spring has finally arrived in Boston, I have made a commitment to use the first five to ten minutes outside playing with my students as a warm up for class. We not only get some time outside, but we also get to use the language in context while having fun – a great way to get it to stick. Some of the game are also traditional, so this is a good way to bring a cultural element into class, too.

Here is a list that includes some of the games I have been teaching my students. Click on the links to learn about each game. Most importantly, have fun and enjoy the fresh air!

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ABOUT ME

¡Hola! I am Carolina, a Colombian elementary Spanish teacher based in Austin, Texas. Fun for Spanish Teachers is the result of my passion for teaching Spanish to children and my desire to inspire collaboration and creativity in a vibrant teaching and learning community. It’s the perfect stop if you are looking for songs, games, teaching tips, stories, and fun for your classes.